Workforce Management Featured Article
Why Financial Institutions Can't Afford to Ignore Mobile
Can you leave the house without your smartphone? Chances are the answer is no, like it is for most individuals. The one anomaly may be the fictional character, Walter Longmire in the series, Longmire. Walt doesn’t want to pay for a cell phone, so he uses everyone else’s and didn’t develop the same dependence the rest of us have on these devices.
In the call center space, and the marketplace in general, characters like Longmire wouldn’t survive. You not only need to be able to respond to customers quickly and according to set customer service rules; you also need to be mobile. The support of mobile and digital channels is essential to overall performance.
The financial industry is one where tradition has long been treasured. According to a recent blog in The Members Group, the digital and mobile evolution in the financial industry is moving at a slow pace. Many institutions are taking baby steps, such as one in Texas considering the potential of allowing more of their staff to interact with customers on social media channels. Another in Pennsylvania recently added the capability for customers to text with call center employees.
Companies seeking the competitive advantage support the remote agent who is skilled, educated, mobile and likely located in a different geographic area, an arrangement that demands direct support through digital channels. The same can be said for the customer who wants to interact with the financial institution using a mobile device. They want speed, consistency and results. The old way of doing business allowed for those interactions only during a small window of time. Today’s customers won’t accept this limitation and those who insist on its preservation will get left behind.
As the competition continues to intensify, call centers in this space must be able to meet the evolving communications demands and expectations of a changing marketplace. The potential channels for interaction are extensive and if these institutions truly want to engage with their target markets, they must be able to incorporate support for digital and mobile channels. The ability to interact with customers on the channels they prefer is critical; leveraging workforce management solutions to ensure it is done through organized methods, is essential.
Consumers expect the same service, consistency and results whether they are focused on digital or mobile interactions. Without it, they’re likely to take their money elsewhere. Therefore the overarching workforce management strategy must make digital and mobile a priority. In doing so, the financial institution will maintain its relevance and build its competitive advantage.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi